Number One Driver In Paid Social is Creative

Your ad creative is the linchpin of your paid social performance. It's the spark that can ignite your campaigns, but it can also leave them smoldering. The challenge many marketers face is that a new creative might deliver a few purchases at an acceptable cost, but it's not always a clear-cut winner ready for scaling

Ad creatives often follow a bell curve. Sometimes you strike gold with an instant hit, while other times, you might find yourself with a flop. But the majority of the time, results fall somewhere in between.

The question is, what can you learn from those ads that land in the middle of the curve? The answer is, quite a lot.

An ad that captures attention with a 3-second thumbstop ratio can teach you how to craft a compelling call to action in another ad. An ad with a 15-second hold rate can guide you in creating landing page content that converts at a higher rate. And an ad that garners significant engagement, through comments, reactions, or shares, may be worth running longer for its potential social virality, even if purchase conversions haven't reached their peak.

With that in mind, I'm excited to share with you the top 5 paid social creative metrics that go beyond purchase metrics, including benchmarks to aim for. These metrics will provide you with valuable insights into what works when it comes to capturing attention, retaining interest, and driving action.

  1. Attention-Capturing Metrics: It's essential to analyze metrics like 3-second thumbstop ratios, which measure how quickly your ad grabs the viewer's attention. A benchmark of 50% or higher is a great target to aim for.

  2. Retention Metrics: Retention is a game-changer. Metrics like 15-second hold rates can indicate how well your ad keeps the audience engaged. Aim for a benchmark of at least 35% or higher.

  3. Engagement Metrics: Engagement is a strong signal of audience interest. Keep an eye on comments, reactions, and shares. While purchase conversions may not be optimal, running an ad with substantial engagement can contribute to social virality.

  4. Click-Through Rates (CTR): CTR measures how effectively your ad compels viewers to take action. A benchmark of 2% or higher is a great goal.

  5. Video Completion Rate: This metric reveals the percentage of viewers who watch your video to completion. Aim for a benchmark of 50% or higher.

These metrics will provide you with a comprehensive view of your ad's performance. They help you understand how well your creative resonates with your target audience and where improvements can be made. By focusing on these creative metrics, you'll be better equipped to drive your paid social campaigns to success.

If you'd like to dive deeper into enhancing your paid social creative strategy, I invite you to book a call with me. We can explore how to leverage these insights to maximize your campaign performance.

At Pennock, we are passionate about helping businesses achieve their goals and scale successfully. Our commitment to building strong relationships, fostering personal growth, and promoting diversity reflects our dedication to supporting your brand's success.

Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to the opportunity to assist you in taking your paid social creative to the next level.

Nikki Lindgren